"We expect that today's meeting will be first in the series of similar expert consultations that will move us closer, together with the U.S., in overcoming disagreements and strengthening trust," spokesperson Maria Zakharova said during a press briefing.

US and Russian diplomats meet in Istanbul to discuss embassy operations, with Ukraine off the agenda. This is a second round following talks in Saudi Arabia that signalled a shift in US policy under Trump.

The Kremlin spokesman said on Thursday that Moscow does not expect any breakthroughs from the Russia-US talks taking place in Istanbul. Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, Dmitry Peskov noted that the US and Russia have accumulated too many issues in their relations to mend them swiftly.